Traffic Officers Recover Hijacked Vehicle

The recovery came during an operation along the Atlantic Seaboard, which is one of several in the past week that netted 131 suspects. Read more below:

The City of Cape Town’s Traffic Service arrested 131 suspects in the last week and issued 8 299 fines for various offences.

Of those arrested, 120 were motorists caught driving under the influence of alcohol at various roadblocks across the metropole. The highest number of arrests at a single roadblock occurred in Table View on Thursday 15 November 2018 where 22 motorists were taken into custody.

‘We’re heading into the period of year-end parties and general festive season merriment. My appeal to members of the public is to be mindful of their behaviour and to drink responsibly. There are so many different options available to us these days and I commend those people who have changed their behaviour by using private taxis or designated drivers to get to and from their destinations. However, the reality is that far too many people are still taking chances; often with devastating consequences,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security; and Social Services, Alderman JP Smith.

In Sea Point on Sunday 18 November 2018 officers made nine drunk driving arrests. The highest reading was nearly five times the legal limit at 1.12mg. They also suspended 31 vehicles deemed unroadworthy as a result of illegal modifications and not displaying registration plates, among others.

During the course of the afternoon, traffic officers were alerted to the hijacking of a Ford ST in Camps Bay. The vehicle was spotted in Sea Point and a high speed chase ensued all the way to Salt River, where the suspects abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot.

The City’s Metro Police Department recovered two more stolen vehicles during their operations in the last week:

· On Wednesday 14 November 2018 officers recovered a stolen motorcycle at a vehicle checkpoint in Salt River and arrested two suspects, aged 36 and 48.

· The day before, the Metro Police Camera Response Unit helped a tracking company recover a stolen panel van in Kuils River. A 23-year-old suspect was arrested in that incident.

Officers also arrested 15 suspects for drunk driving, reckless and negligent driving and for the possession of drugs.

‘The licence plate recognition technology available to us, coupled with an increase in vehicle checkpoints help us to track down stolen vehicles or those that have been used to commit crimes. It is often the best way to help track and identify criminals, so we remind members of the public to be mindful of such details like the make and model of vehicles and the licence plate details where possible.

‘It is also worth noting that while this is a time of merriment for most, criminals are looking to exploit the fact that more people tend to let their guard down. If anything, we need to be more vigilant than ever over this period to avoid falling victim to criminals,’ said Alderman Smith.

The above is a Media Release by the CoCT submitted to Neighbourly at 12:30 on 19/11/2018